eBay Tightens The Noose Around The Necks of Responsible Sellers With June 1 2018 Update

[vssoutlet]

I just reviewed the updated (June 1, 2018) standards for remaining a TRS.

Late Shipment Standards

I am particularly concerned with the miniscule number of shipments considered "late" for a TRS to lose their status and even their selling privilages. I believe that 6 late shipments knocks you out of TRS and just another 2 put you in the position to lose your selling privilages. Seriously? That is a fraction of a single USPS pickup. I don't know about your local post office, but mine is NOT 100% when it comes to scanning packages. And unless a law is passed allowing me to threaten a carrier with bodily harm, I cannot FORCE them to scan packages 100% of the time. I had an issue a couple of months ago where we received a shipment of thermal paper for our barcode reader. Apparently it was defective because the USPS scanner couldn't read the barcode (even though it looked fine). Our local post office did not notify us of a problem. I find out a couple of days later because a customer asked if their package shipped. This issue affected 20 packages. Under this new policy, I'd have my seller status restricted or revoked altogether. It wouldn't matter that I have 99.99% positive feedback. It wouldn't matter that my "late" percentage is under 2%. It wouldn't matter that I've been a trusted seller for nearly 20 years.

Free Returns

Additionally, eBay claims that free returns on EVERYTHING sold are now the "industry standard." These include returns due to errors made by the buyer and simple buyer's remorse returns. Please allow me to translate this into plain Engish: free returns on everything are the "Amazon and Walmart" standard. Most of the eBay sellers I know do not have the resources of an Amazon or a Walmart. Some of us ship heavy items to customers where shipping is nearly the cost of the product. I deal with MANY suppliers and free remorse returns is NOT the industry standard. All this will do is to encourage product "renting" (sellers of better ladies garments are very familiar with this). If eBay believes that this is a good business practice, I have a suggestion: let eBay fund this "industry standard" free returns program. They can write the millions of dollars spent off to Fraud or Advertising Expense. eBay can also stop taking a cut from every dollar received by sellers for shipping costs. 

Amazon is a **bleep** place to sell. I know plenty of Amazon sellers but very few who like it. They do it because it's the biggest game in town. Does eBay really want to join this club? Many sellers of the most interesting stuff I know, do it part time. Tighten the noose too much and these sellers may just decide it's too much effort and worry. And everytime I think that eBay cannot make the demands on Top Rated Sellers even more onorous, they find a way. The bad sellers are OBVIOUS. They are NOT the sellers who had a bad day with the post office or were suddently taken ill and could not hit the "On Vacation" slider between the chest pain and unconsciousness. 

[stuff4divas]

---

@vintagecraze50 wrote:

How are TRS punished for delivering excellent service? You mean by offering free ship, 30 day returns and free ship back? Perhaps the buyers will consider this EXCELLENCE, regardless of the "punishment" from Ebay for attracting them to your items and them buying them more because you were "punished" by Ebay.

---

Don't know if u'v ever sold on eBay, if not, it would be hard for you to 'get it'.

Over the last 10 yrs I've been selling, eBay demands more for sellers to retain their TRS status and then the TRS+ listings while slowly taking away the little rewards they gave us for maintaining that status and demanding more if you want to keep the + listings.

'Perhaps' is subjective, 'Perhaps' buyers will consider free returns after 30, 60, 90 days a great way to rent our products and 'Perhaps' not.

Don't really care bcuz I won't be offering the free returns and I've been offering the 30 days for a few years now and won't go any higher than that 30 days. Who needs that long to decide if they want to keep or return a product, no less 60-90 days, usually scammers.

[ramseybella]

Seller Protection & Returns?

**bleep** is that? It is absolutely nothing but a dozen pages of lies and Ebay's Self protection policy.

I had a long discussion with a rep that oddly went from being a man to a woman when i brought up a recent dispute by a buyer. She seemed to know who i was instantly, tells me they knew i was about to release Hell Fire.. Buyer was the usual I'm an idiot act and didn't know Blah! Blah!

Package comes back Beat to living death and a Mountain Dulcimer with a broken head stock.

I figured i have seller protection since before the box hit my front porch they instantly paid back the full amount to the buyer..

Now the option to send the buyer a return label or have Ebay send one, send your own Why?

Ebay does not cover full insurance on anything, if they use priority mail it's only covered at it's minimum of $50.00. Item cost me to insure it to $80.00 and i asked why don't you? I got we have no control over adding insurance..

For a multi billion dollar corporation when it come to automation they are the best.

But a simple program that knows what it sold for it can't add insurance? I asked what is that send buyer your own return label? You need an account with USPS, FedEx or UPS they will send the buyer a label!

Seriously?

I told them (and they won't do it like pissing in the wind) give the seller the option to insure it fully if you wont.

Told them stop calling yourselves an auction site as you seriously are just side of the road thieves..

I seriously wish someone would pull together a petition to get a team of lawyers to bring Ebay to court as they are seriously bias towards sellers and lie about their truly concerned about your business as an Ebay seller BULL.. They need to be held accountable like Amazon..

[carlmarxx]

---

@ramseybella wrote:

Seller Protection & Returns?

**bleep** is that? It is absolutely nothing but a dozen pages of lies and Ebay's Self protection policy.

I had a long discussion with a rep that oddly went from being a man to a woman when i brought up a recent dispute by a buyer. She seemed to know who i was instantly, tells me they knew i was about to release Hell Fire.. Buyer was the usual I'm an idiot act and didn't know Blah! Blah!

Package comes back Beat to living death and a Mountain Dulcimer with a broken head stock.

I figured i have seller protection since before the box hit my front porch they instantly paid back the full amount to the buyer..

Now the option to send the buyer a return label or have Ebay send one, send your own Why?

Ebay does not cover full insurance on anything, if they use priority mail it's only covered at it's minimum of $50.00. Item cost me to insure it to $80.00 and i asked why don't you? I got we have no control over adding insurance..

For a multi billion dollar corporation when it come to automation they are the best.

But a simple program that knows what it sold for it can't add insurance? I asked what is that send buyer your own return label? You need an account with USPS, FedEx or UPS they will send the buyer a label!

Seriously?

I told them (and they won't do it like pissing in the wind) give the seller the option to insure it fully if you wont.

Told them stop calling yourselves an auction site as you seriously are just side of the road thieves..

I seriously wish someone would pull together a petition to get a team of lawyers to bring Ebay to court as they are seriously bias towards sellers and lie about their truly concerned about your business as an Ebay seller BULL.. They need to be held accountable like Amazon..

---

So what was your buyers reason for the return  ?    

[carlmarxx]

---

@stuff4divas wrote:

---

@vintagecraze50 wrote:

How are TRS punished for delivering excellent service? You mean by offering free ship, 30 day returns and free ship back? Perhaps the buyers will consider this EXCELLENCE, regardless of the "punishment" from Ebay for attracting them to your items and them buying them more because you were "punished" by Ebay.

---

Don't know if u'v ever sold on eBay, if not, it would be hard for you to 'get it'.

Over the last 10 yrs I've been selling, eBay demands more for sellers to retain their TRS status and then the TRS+ listings while slowly taking away the little rewards they gave us for maintaining that status and demanding more if you want to keep the + listings.

'Perhaps' is subjective, 'Perhaps' buyers will consider free returns after 30, 60, 90 days a great way to rent our products and 'Perhaps' not.

Don't really care bcuz I won't be offering the free returns and I've been offering the 30 days for a few years now and won't go any higher than that 30 days. Who needs that long to decide if they want to keep or return a product, no less 60-90 days, usually scammers.

---

I will not  jump through the hoops ,to do ebays phony  business standard  free  Return shipping.   I will be going back to 14 day returns  and 2 to 3 day handling .

[ramseybella]

Like when you list a set of items and they add at the top to increase to the same amount you listed.
It's a fat scam trying to bait you with little reward in the end.
Their advice you get i just delete it..
It's turned into a clown show, sad realy it was a great ride while it lasted 19 years.
Better off doing a yard sale.

[stuff4divas]

---

@carlmarxx wrote:

---

@stuff4divas wrote:

---

@vintagecraze50 wrote:

How are TRS punished for delivering excellent service? You mean by offering free ship, 30 day returns and free ship back? Perhaps the buyers will consider this EXCELLENCE, regardless of the "punishment" from Ebay for attracting them to your items and them buying them more because you were "punished" by Ebay.

---

Don't know if u'v ever sold on eBay, if not, it would be hard for you to 'get it'.

Over the last 10 yrs I've been selling, eBay demands more for sellers to retain their TRS status and then the TRS+ listings while slowly taking away the little rewards they gave us for maintaining that status and demanding more if you want to keep the + listings.

'Perhaps' is subjective, 'Perhaps' buyers will consider free returns after 30, 60, 90 days a great way to rent our products and 'Perhaps' not.

Don't really care bcuz I won't be offering the free returns and I've been offering the 30 days for a few years now and won't go any higher than that 30 days. Who needs that long to decide if they want to keep or return a product, no less 60-90 days, usually scammers.

---

I will not  jump through the hoops ,to do ebays phony  business standard  free  Return shipping.   I will be going back to 14 day returns  and 2 to 3 day handling .

---

Hope what u r selling fits the criteria for 14 day returns, mine does not, otherwise I would too 😞

[vssoutlet]

It's even harder you you. You're in garment sales. You need huge profit margins to make up for the fraud returns.

[vssoutlet]

You're 100% right, my friend. And like you, I find absolutely no joy in being right. eBay was more than an ecommerce platform - it was a philosophy that used tools to bring people together. For years, it has been moving further and further from this wonderful model. Sellers lose. Buyers lose. One day, eBay stockholders will loose too.

[callaantho]

Just closed 3800+ auction & fixed price listings and ebay can go straight to hell....It's bad enough my listings are not showing up with their search engines & now to boot I would have to go along with their 30 return policy. NO WAY.... I am done with fee-bay for good. John Callandrello (I think alot more members will eventually follow)

[chargeit99]

It's not mandatory though. You can opt out of free returns. But you are right, it's getting sucky for you sellers

[pauls-parts]

You have to give free returns wheather you want to or not. I have one right now that is a buyers remorse. eBay is trying to get me to pay the shipping both directions. I sent him a message that he needs to bring the item down to ups and gave him my address. I received the item and gave him a refund minus the shipping. eBay is still trying to get me to pay for a return shipping label even after talking to them.  Make no mistake eBay will side with the buyer no matter what.

[carlmarxx]

---

@pauls-parts wrote:

You have to give free returns wheather you want to or not. I have one right now that is a buyers remorse. eBay is trying to get me to pay the shipping both directions. I sent him a message that he needs to bring the item down to ups and gave him my address. I received the item and gave him a refund minus the shipping. eBay is still trying to get me to pay for a return shipping label even after talking to them.  Make no mistake eBay will side with the buyer no matter what.

---

No   they  will not  .  you need to call up ebay 1/2 before they close for the day and you will get a U.S. Rep.  which can help you